Jones on Article XXXI: Of the one Oblation of Christ finished upon the Cross

per semctipsum by his own self ; not by any other body’s sacri- fice. He meant by his own sacrifice on the cross, where he offered himself for the redemption of mankind ; and not the sacrifice of the mass to be offered by another. For who can offer him but himself? He was both the offerer and the offering. And this is the prick, this is the mark at the which the devil shooteth to evacuate the cross of Christ, and to mingle the institution of the Lord’s supper ; the which although he cannot bring to pass, yet he goeth about by his sleights and

subtle means to frustrate the same For whereas Christ,

according as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness, so would he himself be exalted, that thereby as many as trusted in him should have salvation ; but the devil would none of that ; they would have us saved by a daily oblation propitia- tory, by a sacrifice, expiatory, or remissory And this way

the devil used to evacuate the death of Christ, that we might have affiance in other things, as in the sacrifice of the priest ; whereas Christ would have us to trust in his only sacrifice.

So he was ’ The Lamb that hath been slain from the beginning of the world;’ and therefore he is called juge sacrificium, ’ a continual sacrifice,’ (Dan. viii. 11, 12,) and not for the con- tinuance of the mass, as the blanchers have blanched it and wreisted it ; and as I myself did once betake it. But Paul saith ’ by himself.’ and by none other, Christ ’ made purgation ’ and satisfaction for the whole world.” — Ser. on Horn. xv. 4.

” For all those that be mass-mongers be deniers of Christ ; which believe or trust in the sacrifice of the mass and seek

remission of their sins therein ’ The Lamb was killed from

the beginning of the world,’ that is to say, all they that believed in him since Adam was created, they were saved by him. They that believed in Abraham’s Seed, it was as good unto them, and stood then in as good effect, as it doth unto us now at this day : so that his oblation is of such efficacy, that it purifieth and taketh away all the sins of the whole world.” — Ser. Phil. iii. 17, 18.

“For only Christ is the sacrifice propitiatory, and he that alone meriteth before God the remission of sin. If then in the time of the shadow Jonas knew the Lord to accept the sacrifice of the heart and mouth, that was endued with faith, above the sacrifice of the bloody calves, how much more now of us will he do the same, above the idolatrical sacrifice of the mass.” — Ser. iv. on Jonas.

” Oh that people for whom Christ hath shed his most inno- cent blood would understand and perceive this sensible and manifest abomination, why they believe those seductors and deceivers of Christian souls, that hath not as much as one iota or prick of the scripture to help themselves withal ! Read, read, I beseech thee, Christian reader, Matt. xxvi. Mark xiv. Luke xxii. and see how far their abominable mass is from the word of God: and think who was the priest that ministered this sacrament, and what people received it. Then shalt thou find the Son of God, the Wisdom of the Father, the Light of the world, the Lamb that died for thy salvation, to be minister

of this holy sacrament, and the church or people that received it, to be elect and chosen apostles, Christ’s friends that taught the gospel in all the world, and died for the same as testimonies

of the truth Acts ii God will have none other works

of man than he requireth in his express word. He condemneth by this law the wicked sacrifice and idolatry committed in the private masses, where as people doth not only take from God and Christ their due honour, but also, make, another God of bread.” — Decl. of the Ten Commandments.

” No, my lord, I deny not the presence of Christ in the sacrament, but I have denied the sacrament of the altar, as it is used in your mass, to be the true sacrament of Christ’s institution .” — Ninth Exam inatio n .

” Yea also, this your goodly mass, either that daily sacrifice, as thou termest it and whereof thou makest so much ado, is it not plainly the invention of men, and invented to the greatest

injury of Christ as might be ? Malachi (Mai. ill,) speaketh

there of Christ his only sacrifice and oblation, by the which he offered himself and his body upon the cross to his Father as an host for our sins : these jugglers draw it unto bread and wine, or rather unto their fable of the mass. For what is that pure and clean oblation, but Christ, which ’ hath wrought no sin, and in whose mouth was found no deceit ? ’ Wherefore he alone was pleasant and acceptable unto God. Here, here, is that oblation and pure sacrifice, innocent, immaculate by the sweet savour whereof the Father is pacified : and dare ye say that thilk wicked mass of yours was ordained to pacify God ; the which nothing can be to God more filthy, nothing more hideous, nothing more displeasant ?” — Translation of Curio’s Defence.

” They pluck away the honour from the only sacrifice of Christ, whilst this sacramental and mass-sacrifice is believed to

be propitiatory, and such a one as purgeth the souls both of the quick and the dead. Contrary to that is written to the Hebrews : ’ With one offering hath he made perfect for ever them that are sanctified.’ And again, where remission of these things (that is, of our sins) is, there is no more offering for sin.” — Conferences with Latimer.

” The testimonies of the ancient fathers, which confirm the

same, are out of Augustine ad Bonifac. Epist. 23 And in

the same book (Book xx.) against the said Faustus, Chap. 18, thus he writeth : ’ Now the Christians keep a memorial of the sacrifice past, with a holy oblation and participation of the body and blood of Christ.” — Concerning the Sacrament.

“He lays to the priest’s charge that in subscribing to this religion, they have refused both the power that was given to them to offer sacrifice and celebrate mass for the quick and

dead But the scripture condemns all such sacrificing now

for sin save only that sacrifice which Jesus Christ offered once for the sins of the whole world.” — Questions and Answers.

” Sacrificing is a voluntary action whereby we worship God, offering him somewhat in token that we acknowledge him to be the Lord, and ourselves his servants. ’ Ye are made,’ saith St. Peter, ’ an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.’ God therefore doth re- quire this duty at our hands Aaron offered sacrifice which

could not in itself be accepted of God, nor take away the sins

of them for whom it was offered But the Priest after the

order of Melchisidec hath offered the sacrifice of his own flesh acceptable even for the worthiness of it, and by the virtue which is in it, forcible and more than sufficient to wash away all sin. This he did willingly : ’ He made himself an offering for sin.’ He did it perfectly : ’ With one offering he consecrated for ever them that are sanctified.’ ’ Where full remission of sin

is there needeth no further sacrifice for sin.’ ’ The blood of

Jesus cleanseth from all sin ;’ the blood of Jesus once shed, the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once. So that there remaineth no other sacrifice to be daily offered but the sacrifice of righteousness, which we must all offer.” — Ser. on Psalm iv. 5.

” The sacrifice of Christ for the redemption of the world was not simply his body and his blood, but his body broken and his blood shed, that is, all his passion and suffering in his body and flesh. In that, therefore they offer, as they say, the same sacrifice which Christ offered, dearly beloved, do they not, as much as in them is. kill, slay, whip and crucify Christ again with

wretches and antichrists ? Whereas they call this sacrifice

of the mass the principal mean to apply the benefit of Christ’s death to the quick and the dead, I would gladly have them to shew where and of whom they learned it. Sure I am they

learned it not of Christ This is most lively for faith, how

that by one oblation once offered by this Christ himself, all that be God’s people are sanctified. For as in respect of them that died in God’s covenant and election before Christ suffered his death and offered his sacrifice, one, alone and omnisufficient, never more to be offered, he is called the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world, and the one alone Mediator between God and man, whose forthcoming was from the beginning ; even so in respect of the virtue and efficacy of this one sacrifice to all God’s people continually unto the world’s end, the Holy Ghost doth tell us, that thereby he hath made holy such as be children of salvation ; and saith not, shall make holy, or doth make holy ; lest any man should with the papists indeed

reiterate this satisfaction again For in the seventeenth of

John, our Saviour doth very plainly shew this in these words ; ’ For their sakes,’ saith he, ’ I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth. I pray not for them alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their preaching.’ Here our Saviour applicth his sacrifice in teaching and praying for them So that as ye have now Christ’s

AX EXPOSITION* OF THE

one only sacrifice, which he himself on the cross offered once as sufficient for all that do believe, and never more to be reiterated ; so have you that for the applying of it to his church ; the ministers should preach, and pray that their preaching might be effectual in Christ,” (2 Cor. i.) in the latter end. — The Carrying of Christ’s Cross.

” The greatest blasphemy and injury that can be against Christ, and yet universally used through the popish kingdom, is this, that the priests make their mass a sacrifice propitiatory to remit the sins as well as of themselves as of other, both quick and dead, to whom they list to apply the same. Thus under pretence of holiness, the papistical priests have taken upon them to be Christ’s successors, and to make such an oblation and sacrifice as never creature made, but Christ alone, neither he made the same any more times than once, and that

was by his death upon the cross For Christ offered not the

blood of calves, sheep, and goats, as the priests of the old law have used to do, but he offered his own blood upon the cross. And he went not into an holy place made by man’s hand, as Aaron did ; but he ascended up into heaven, where his eternal Father dwelleth, and before him he maketh continual supplica- tion for the sins of the whole world, presenting his own body g which was torn for us, and his precious blood, whieh of his most gracious and liberal charity he shed for us upon the cross.

One kind of sacrifice there is which is called propitiatory,

or merciful sacrifice, that is to say, such a sacrifice as pacrfieth God’s wrath and indignation, and obtaineth mercy and forgive- ness for all our sins, and is the ransom for our redemption from

everlasting damnation Another kind of sacrifice there is

which doth not reconcile us to God, but is made of them that be reconciled by Christ to testify our duties unto God, and to shew ourselves thankful unto him The first kind of sacri- fice Christ offered to God for us ; the second kind we ourselves

offer to God by Christ He was such an high bishop, that

he once offering himself was sufficient by once effusion of his

blood, to abolish sin unto the world’s end. He was so perfect a priest, that by one oblation he purged an infinite heap of sins, leaving an easy and ready remedy for all sinners, that his one sacrifice should suffice for many years unto all men that would not shew themselves unworthy. And he took upon himself not only their sins, that many years before were dead, and put their trust in him, but also the sins of those that until his coming again should truly believe in his Gospel. So that now we may look for none other priest or sacrifice to take away our sins, but only him and his sacrifice ? — Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ.

” As for the mass, would God they that so much desire it, knew what it is ! Would God they knew how the people of God are mocked by it ; and how the precious blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ is blasphemed by it !” — On Thcssalonians.

” And forasmuch as he striveth to make the world think our doctrine is injurious to the Godhead and glory of Christ ; first we protest, that as we believe ’ that Christ is the Lamb of God that hath taken away the sins of the world, and that there is none other name under heaven whereby we can be saved.’

(John i. Acts iv.) and that as St. Paul saith, (2 Tim. iii.)

’ He is God revealed in the flesh ;’ even so we yield unto him the very honour that is due unto God.” — Tract against Harding.

” The “Word of God teacheth us forgiveness of our sins by the blood of Jesus Christ once offered; they” (the papists) “teach contrary, that the same blood is daily offered, and Christ as often new born as pleaseth the priest to say mass.” — On Tliessalonians.

” Moreover, this doctrine of the sacrifice of the mass is plainly injurious to the blood of Christ, obscui-eth the price of Christ’s death, and disannulleth the virtue of Christ’s sacrifice, which he offered on the altar of the cross for our sins, and

inaketh Christ no perfect Saviour and Redeemer. For if any of our sins be put away through the sacrifice of the popish mass, then was not our redemption perfect in the death of Christ, neither were all our sins washed away by the blood of Christ. But if all our sins be put away by the death of Christ, according to the doctrine of Christ and of his apostles, then is their doctrine of the missal sacrifice vain, false, wicked, and worthy to be hissed out of the Church of Christ ; seeing it so greatly embaseth the dignity of the sacrifice of Christ’s death, and plucked away our trust and confidence from the merits of Christ’s passion and death unto the trifling traditions and devilish doctrines of men. For to stablish a new sacrifice to take away sin, is nothing else than to afBrm and grant that the old sacrifice (I mean the death of Christ) is either of no force or else it is imperfect. For if the death of Christ be of full force and sufficiently perfect, yea, and to the uttermost able to take away the sins of the whole world, (as it is indeed) what need we the missal sacrifice lately brought in by the devil and

antichrist Christ is an everlasting priest ; and as his

priesthood is everlasting so likewise is his sacrifice everlasting, I mean it endureth for ever in full virtue and perfect strength to put away at all times all the sins of all people that do unfeignedly repent and believe.” — Catechism of the Sacraments.

See also Articles II. XV. and XVIII.